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Vegan Herb Guide To Cooking – A Visual Article

For many, the idea of not eating meat is an alien concept. But millions of people around the world not only follow a meat-free diet, but also abstain from consuming any product derived from animals. For most vegans, their decision to refrain from using animal by-products is an ethical one, as it is not only animals that are used for meat who suffer. But being a vegan is not just an ethical stand-point, it also carries both health and environmental benefits.

The secret to creating delicious vegan meals – just like any other cuisine – lies in the condiments. Choosing the right herbs and spices can make or break a meal, but knowing what will complement and what will desecrate a dish can often prove to be a culinary minefield.

We’ve scoured every cookbook, food blog and cooking show we could find to compile this informative guide to the most popular herbs, their history and how you should use them when cooking a vegan meal. We hope you enjoy out Vegan Herb Guide To Cooking – A Visual Article. For more information check out the full Infographic here.

Basil

Most frequently found in Mediterranean cooking, but also very prevalent in Asian cuisine, the herb basil has a sweet, strong aroma and distinct flavour.

Making vegan pesto with basil works great…

Toss this simple pesto into pasta, use as a sauce on a pizza base or a serve as a dip to accompany bread or crackers.

PRO TIP: Try using sweet or Thai basil as a basis for a pesto!

Tomato and basil are the perfect match….

Combine, tomato and basil with avocado or any kind of bean to give your salads a boost.

One of the most commonly used herbs, Mint is the genus name for a number of different species of plant. Each type of mint has its own flavour and appearance, but all carry an unmistakable ‘fresh’ taste.

Mint is a cheeky addition to a salad…

Mint leaves can add a much-needed freshness to vegetable, bean or even fruit salads.

PRO TIP: For savoury salads combine peppermint with oil and use as a dressing. For sweet salads finely chop apple mint and sprinkle over as a seasoning.

Chilli-mint; a shocking sensation

If you want to add the element of surprise to a dish try mixing spearmint and chillies together to create a cool but spicy seasoning.

PRO TIP: Add mint and chillies to a bottle of olive oil to create a simple but startling dressing that gets spicier with age!

Oregano

Boasting a robust flavour and arresting aroma, oregano is traditionally found in Mediterranean and Mexican cooking where it is often added as a seasoning at the end of cooking.

Oregano and tomato are best buds…

Any tomato-based dish, be it a pizza, pasta or even a vegetable gumbo, can be enhanced with the addition of a liberal sprinkling of dried oregano.

PRO TIP: Blend fresh oregano with whole tomatoes, a dash of salt and pinch of sugar to create your own simple passata.

Oregano loves roast vegetables…

Fresh oregano can be used with a variety of vegetables, but is an excellent accompaniment to roasted aubergines.

PRO TIP: Ensure you use half as much fresh oregano as you would dried as its flavour is twice as strong.

Rosemary

Used most extensively in French, Spanish and Italian cooking, rosemary unsurprisingly originates from the Mediterranean region.

Go nuts for rosemary stuffing…

No nut-roast is complete without a side of stuffing, and no stuffing would be complete without the inclusion of rosemary.

PRO TIP: Paring rosemary with other herbs such as sage and thyme is essential to creating a flavour-intensive stuffing mix.

Rosemary has a sweet side…

For something a little different, try adding rosemary to biscuits, cookies, jams and jellies. Its perfumed taste adds a pleasing contrast to any sweet flavour.

PRO TIP: Mix rosemary and vegan cheese into your biscuit or cracker dough to make a great savoury snack.

Sage

Popular in British, Irish and Italian cooking, sage has a bitter, earthy flavour that can withstand long cooking times while still holding its flavour.

Sage bread that will leave you stuffed…

More commonly known for its role in stuffing, sage is a becoming more popular as an ingredient in bread baking, thanks to its use as the signature herb in ‘herbed focaccia’.

For a blast from the past simply add sage leaves to hot water and enjoy some ‘sage tea’. This simple beverage used to be so popular with the Chinese that they would offer four pounds of Chinese tea, for only one pound of sage.

PRO TIP: For best results, steep sage for five minutes in boiling water before straining.

Tarragon

Believed to have been brought to Europe from Mongolia and Siberia in the 13th century, tarragon has become a key herb in European cooking. In France, it is an essential ingredient in Béarnaise sauce.

Vinegar is better than wine where tarragon is concerned …

Adding tarragon to white wine vinegar creates a fantastic vinaigrette, which can be used as a dressing or in pickling.

PRO TIP: Splash tarragon vinaigrette sparingly over potato salads.

Match strength for strength…

To create an intensely-flavoured dish try mixing tarragons’ bold flavour to any strong-flavoured vegetable such as carrot or asparagus